


I'm Still Here

by HeartfeltAdvantages



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Cameos, Don't ask why the Sanders Sides characters are there, Gen, I wrote this on a whim, Just don't, Light Angst, Mentions of Panic Attacks, Mentions of neglect, Slow Burn, Steven Universe: The Movie Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2020-01-25
Packaged: 2020-10-13 00:44:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20573654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeartfeltAdvantages/pseuds/HeartfeltAdvantages
Summary: The only reason why Spinel visited the Earth was because she wanted to see the real reason why Pink Diamond decided to abandon her. One visit becomes two, two visits become three, and now she does it almost on a regular basis. Pink Diamond changed when she was on Earth. Maybe she could do the same.





	1. Chapter 1

If Spinel had to be honest, she prefer the night over the day. There was something calming about watching the world slowly loose it's bright, vibrant colors and being replaced with the soft shade of purple or blue. On Homeworld you couldn't see it since it's always dark there, but on Earth it's hard to miss. It takes over everything, and she couldn't help but fall in love with it. Sometimes she wonder if this is why Pink left her. 

Sometimes she wonder if she was ever good for her to begin with.

She sighed and buried herself deeper into the hoodie that she found sprawled across Steven's floor. He didn't know she was here- none of the Crystal Gems nor the Diamonds knew she was here. The only gem that knew was Pink Pearl, and she promised that she wouldn't tell a soul. Spinel loved living with the Diamonds- in fact, this was the happiest she'd been since she found out about Pink Diamond... She wasn't going to dwell on that tonight.

Tonight she was here to explore. 

Standing up and dusting her clothes from the leaves, she scanned the dense forest that stretched out before her and jumped. She extended her arm to latch onto the nearby branch and used the momentum to propel herself forward, repeating the action as she allowed herself to let loose. The world rushed past her in a dizzying blur, but she found herself grinning from ear to ear. These were the moments that she couldn't get at Homeworld- these were the moments that she bet Pink Diamond had without her. 

"Whooo!" Spinel released the branch that she grabbed onto and felt her body being flung into the air at a remarkable height. When she landed on the forest floor, she couldn't stopped the hysterical laugh that erupted from her, pulling out the leaves and branches that got caught in her hair. 

"You look like you're having fun."

Out of reflex her hand grew twice their size and broke through the tree like nothing, and she was left standing in front of a destroyed tree and wondering where the voice came from. "W-who's there?!" She cried out, the adrenaline from earlier making her extra jumpy. Garnet of all people appeared from the shadows, her hands up to show that she wasn't carrying a weapon. She smiled faintly at Spinel, who could only take a step back in confusion. "Garnet? What are you doing here?"

"I figured that I could talk to you." The answer was plain and simple, and yet the confusion didn't leave Spinel at all. The fusion sat down on the destroyed tree and patted the spot besides her warmly, the smile never leaving her face one bit. After hesitating for a moment, the gem took the invitation, although it was clear that she was still on edge. The two didn't talk, one worried that she might say something that could potentially upset the fusion and the other simply enjoying the silence. After a while, Spinel spoke. "Garnet... how did you know that I would be here?"

Instead of answering, the fusion simply tapped on the side of her shades, and Spinel figured that that was the best she was gonna get. The two lapsed into silence once again, although it was shorter than the first. Garnet suddenly pulled out a container that Spinel didn't noticed and opened it, revealing it to be filled with something that she didn't know. "Do you want one?"

"What is it?"

"Chocolate-chip cookies. And no, they're not poisonous- Steven baked them himself today."

That didn't eased her worries one bit, yet Spinel didn't want to appear rude. Besides, they do look rather delicious. She took one and took a small bite from it. Her eyes lite up at the taste and she ate it with gusto,causing Garnet to chuckle from her side. "I swear, you act just like Amethyst when it comes to food." Spinel swallowed but didn't spoke, now cradling the container in her hands as she avoided looking at Garnet.

"Garnet..." She paused, trying to find the right words. "Why are you here? After all the things that I did to you- that I did to _Steven_, why are you still here with me? I thought you would be mad or..."

Garnet sighed and placed a firm hand on hers. "When I saw that you would be coming here, I wanted to make sure that you were okay."

"What do you mean? I've never been better! The Diamonds are so nice to me and I get to play with so many gems each day! Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"Because you're still not over her."

Spinel felt her heart stopped. She couldn't even find the words to speak- she could only stare at the fusion with shock. Garnet felt her now ice-cold hand tremble beneath hers and grasped it. "Spinel, be honest to yourself. Why did you came here? Why did you left Homeworld after all this time? You said so yourself- you're happy with the Diamonds, so why?"

"I... I don't... I..." Her eyes fell on their intertwined fingers and she yanked it to her chest, suddenly remembering that she was still wearing Steven's sweater. She suddenly felt hot and cold at the same time and she hugged herself tightly, just like she used to do to her. "I _am_ over her! Why wouldn't I be? Everything is fine!" She couldn't stop shaking. Why couldn't she stop shaking?

Garnet leaned closer and placed her hands on her shoulders to ground her back to reality. "Spinel, take deep breaths. Follow me. In. Out. In. Out... That's it. Keep it up." It felt like forever since Spinel was able to calm down, and she didn't even noticed that Garnet had her arms around her throughout the entire process. She felt too tired to care, and she pressed her cheek against the fusion's chest in defeat. 

"W-why does it still hurt to think about her? I wanted to forget her, so why do I still think about her? Why does it still feel like I wasn't good enough for her? Why does it still feel like it's my fault?"

"Shh," Garnet hushed, exhaling deeply. "I know that it's hard to accept the truth, but it's something that we all have to do eventually. But what she did _wasn't _your fault, Spinel. You're not responsible for her actions, so you don't have to keep blaming yourself for something that you didn't do."

"But it's so _hard_, Garnet!" Spinel cried. "I don't want to accept the truth- I just want her to be back!"

"We all do. But it's something that we all have to face one day. You don't have to do it now, Spinel. You can take your time. Just don't pretend that what she did didn't happened."

Spinel nodded slowly and wiped her eyes. "Thanks, Garnet. I needed this."

Garnet smiled and released her from the hug, extending a hand to her. "Come on- the night's still young."


	2. Chapter 2

After that, Spinel still found herself visiting the Earth. It was something out of habit now, and she found it difficult to break it. Sometimes Garnet would be waiting for her at the warp pad and they would spend the night exploring the woods, with the fusion explaining to her the flora and fauna that they would encounter. Other times she would go there alone and just wander aimlessly throughout the forest, but that was find too. She was okay being by herself, as ironic as that sounds. 

She liked being left alone with her thoughts- it gave her time to reflect rather than focusing on fun and games only. It gave her time to think about what Garnet told her that night and it gave her time to think about what she really meant to Pink. 

Pink did enjoy her company once upon a time, but then she changed- for what, she didn't know. From what Garnet told her, Pink fought to protect the Earth from the Diamond Authority and to allow gems to be their true selves. It sounded amazing, if Spinel had to be honest, but she still didn't understand why she wasn't included in the plan. She could have helped her with the War! She could have been fighting by Pink's side with the Crystal Gems! Why didn't she took her with her? Then Spinel came to the sombering realization that she was too childish for Pink's grand plan. She would have slown her down if she came or given away her position on accident. If that happened then the whole plan would have been destroyed. Pearl would most likely be shattered, Pink would have been locked in the tower for God knows how long, and Spinel would most likely be exiled out of Homeworld. 

She sighed, grazing her finger across a deep purple hibiscus. It was probably for the best that she didn't came with them. The gem shook her head to clear away those thoughts and continued her walk. Sometime between her visits, Garnet asked Bismuth to construct a "tree house" for her since she would sometimes stay overnight, and even though it was sparse when she first found it, she fell in love with it immediately. Overtime she was able to decorate it to her pleasing, and she even store the life-sized Furret that she won from Funland there for safe keeping. There were Christmas lights that she strung around the interior that gave everything a soft, yellow glow; there were pictures stuck to the wall that she was proud of that were near her attempts of paintings (most were either abstract or depicted the few people in her life that she ever met and were all centered around the Garden); there were even a corner of the room that was made just for reading or listening to podcasts, as boring as that sounded. She recently started listening to 'The Adventure Zone', and she couldn't wait to see where they were going to take the story next.

"_S__o don't try to fight it, I'm here for the night... And I'll be waiting for you, until we meet again_," she sang softly to herself as she adjusted the jacket she still had from Steven. The tree house should't be much farther now, but she was in no rush tonight. She just needed to grab the Polaroid camera that she found one day to finish the scrapbook she started to work on. She hummed softly to herself, stretching her arms to grab the branch and pulling herself up with a single fluid motion. The smile on her face froze when she saw Steven flipping through her scrapbook in silent awe. When his eyes met hers he jumped and hastily placed the book to its original place, giving her an awkward yet genuine smile.

"Hey Spinel- Wait, is that my jacket?"

For a moment, she didn't know what to say. Her movements- even her words- began to slow down as her brain slowly came to terms with what's happening. "How did you know I would be here?" A pause as realization struck. "Did Garnet told you?"

Steven held his hands up in defense. "No no no! I couldn't sleep and I decided to go on a walk to ease my nerves." Spinel held her gaze for a few moments before sighing in defeat, realizing that she wouldn't win anything if she tried to start an argument with him. She stuffed her hands in her jacket- she should technically give it back to him since he was here, but she already grew too attached to it as it is- and walked over to the bookshelf to grab her bag. 

"Can you give me that camera please?" Steven jumped in slight surprise but complied to the request. She checked the roll to see if it had film before nodding in approval, placing it in her bag and grabbing a sandwich that she bought from Lars earlier. She paused at the entrance and gestured for the half-human to follow before jumping down. He hesitated for only a moment before following, and soon they were walking together in a tense yet comfortable silence. 

"Sooo.... where are we going?"

"There's a spot that I found recently that I want to take a photo of, but it's kinda far away from here." She avoided walking into the tree root that jutted out of the Earth and took a small bite of the sandwich. "I think Garnet said that she was there when she first fused."

Steven's eyes widen and he began to grow excited. "What? That's so cool!" Spinel couldn't help the blush of pride that spread across her cheeks. 

"Shucks, it's nothing. I bet you've seen way more cooler stuff than me since I've only been here for a couple of months."

"A couple of months? How come I didn't see you?"

"I'm very good at playing hide and seek. Come on- we still have a long way to go." Spinel was still uneasy being around Steven- after all, she did try to destroy his planet and kill him in the process. He didn't seemed to mind being around her though, so she guess she could entertain him for the night. It was something that she was made for, after all. She smiled to herself in silent determination. Yeah, she could do this. How hard can it be to watch a sixteen year old for the night?

"- Spinel? Are you still with me?"

"Huh?" She gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that- what were you saying?"

Steven looked slightly concerned but covered it up with a smile. "I was asking you about the Diamonds. Are they still as overbearing as ever?"

She chuckled and shook her head. "Nothing like that. I show them games that I found on Earth when they're not busy, and if they are I usually spend the day with Pearl and Lemon Jade. They're so much fun to be with."

"I'm glad! To be honest, I was kinda worried that they might not be too nice to you considering what they were like to my mom, but if they're treating you well, then I have nothing to worry about!"

She hesitated. "What... What were they like to her?" 

Steven looked nervous. "You know... Overbearing, always wanting to know where you are, that kinda thing. They're like hummingbirds that always fly around you and never give you a break."

Oh. That... Makes sense. She remembered how they acted before Steven introduced her to them. She nodded and picked up her stride, her worries now put behind her. They walked in comfortable silence until she recognized the area that they were in and broke into a small sprint. "Come on! We're not that far from the sight!" Steven follower eagerly behind her, and when they reached the clearing, she heard him gasp from her side.

The area was just as beautiful as she remembered it to be. Lush and glowing with fireflies, and around them the wildlife stirred. She froze when she saw a deer in the distance standing in front of a small body of water and gestured for Steven to stay quiet and low.

Taking out her camera and bringing it to her eye, she took one photo from a distance before extending her neck and arms closer. The deer didn't seemed to noticed her for now, too absorbed in drinking from the small body of water, so she took this as a chance for her to take a photo from above and a photo from the side. A bird cawed in the distance, startling both her and the animal, and the deer took off in the opposite direction. She stretched her limbs to return to her body and checked the photos that she took to see which one would go in her scrapbook and which one would go on her wall.

Spinel felt Steven gently tugging on the camera and allowed him to take it, still debating on her choice. It was only when she heard the shutter go off did she realized what he was doing. "Hey!"

"Sorry!" He handed her back the camera bur stayed with the photo. "You look really good in this shot." She extended her head to see what he was talking about and, sure enough, he was right. Spinel actually forgot what she looked like, so seeing herself was a bit of a shock. She ran a hand through her hair as she felt a grin creeping on her face. 

"I look..."

"Good? You do! Now come on- I wanna see if we can the deer!"Steven raced forward, and Spinel gave one last look at the photo before sliding them into her bag and following after her.

Time seemed to pass faster after that. They didn't even noticed when dawn was breaking until Steven noticed the golden rays that peeked through the trees. He yawned and gave Spinel a tired smile. "I better go home, Spinel. Pearl might start to freak out if I'm not there."

"I'll walk you there. We travelled pretty far," she offered. She started to walk when she felt something grabbed her hand and turned to see Steven holding on to her. He yawned again and rubbed his eyes, and the gem felt something familiar rush through her body at the sight. He acted so much like Pink sometimes...

The duo walked in silence, and Spinel didn't even noticed when they arrived at the back of his house until Steven pointed it out. "Thanks for taking me out tonight, Spinel. I had a ton of fun hanging with you."

"It's no big deal, Steven." She shrugged and turned to go to her tree house when Steven grabbed the back of her jacket.

"You could always hang out with us, you know. You don't have to be by yourself all the time."

Spinel gave him a sad smile. "I know. I just think it's better this way. I don't know if the others would act as happy as you around me."

"You could always give it a try." He gave her hand a firm squeeze before letting go and walking to his house. Spinel stayed there for a moment, watching as his body grew smaller and smaller before she headed to the forest. She was going to do this one step at a time.


	3. Chapter 3

"_You don't have to be by yourself all the time."_

She couldn't understand why, out of everything Steven said to her, that was the one that stuck out the most. It wasn't something profound or philosophical- it was just a simple observation. So why did she want to give the offer a try? 

"Is everything alright, Spinel?"

Spinel shook her head slowly and closed her eyes, leaning into Pearl's touch as she ran the comb through her loose hair. "Everythin's alright, Toots. Just thinkin'."

"About what? It must be important if you're so quiet."

Spinel smiled softly and rested her head against Pearl's shoulder, their eyes meeting. "Y'know me so well. I'm flattered." She saw the faint warm smile that stretched across Pearl's face. She let out a noise akin to a purr when Pearl ran her fingers through her hair, although she turned somber rather quickly.

"I was thinkin' about what Steven told me. He seemed so sure of himself that... I dunno. I don't know what I want to do now."

"Steven talked to you? When did he came here?"

"No, I," Spinel gave a tired sigh. "I was down at Earth when he found me. We had a little talk and that was it."

Pearl looked slightly concerned. She adjusted her position on the cushions so that she was now facing Spinel properly. "I thought that after what happened-"

"I _know_. I told myself that I wasn't going back to Earth unless I absolutely had to, and yet I wanted to see _why _Pink Diamond left me for a stupid, no good, _worthless-_"

Pearl grabbed Spinel's shoulders firmly, but not enough to actually hurt. The motion snapped her out of her spiral, and she sighed tiredly, her limbs turning sluggish and falling in a somewhat tangle around her. A soft hand made its way to her cheek and she leaned into the touch. "Sorry 'bout that, hun. I guess old habits really do die hard." A bitter laugh left her mouth as she exhaled again.

Pearl bit the bottom of her lip, her brows furrowed together in concern before she smiled faintly. She brushed the bangs that fell in front of her eyes, effectively gaining Spinel's attention. "You're right, Nell. They're just that- habits. You're gonna stop them eventually, and when you do, I'll be right by your side." The gem pressed her forehead against hers, and they stayed that way for a moment. In that moment, Spinel realized just how safe she felt around Pearl. She trusts the Diamonds, Garnet and Steven, but none of them could replicate what Pearl makes her feel. 

She gasped, an idea suddenly forming in her head and sprung to her feet, startling Pearl. "Spinel? Is everything-"

"No time ta explain, Toots! C'mon!" Pearl extended her hand and Spinel took it eagerly, barely waiting for her to get to her feet before she took off in a run. For someone who've been standing in one spot for 6,000 years, she was surprisingly fast. Pearl found that she could barely keep up, but somehow they managed. They ran past the other gems in the court, who turned their head to watch them go curiously before continuing their duties. 

"Spinel, where're we going?"

"We're goin' to Earth!"

Her feet skidded to a stop, stretching Spinel's arm with her in an almost comical manner. Spinel stopped almost immediately, turning back to look at the gem in confusion. "Pearl? W-what's wrong?"

"Are you sure that this is a good idea, Spinel? I've never-" She struggled to find the right words. "Earth was the reason why I got separated from Pink Diamond. Earth was the whole reason why I began to serve for White Diamond. Earth was the reason why-" She came to a shuddering stop, her unoccupied hand reaching to her damaged eye. "Is this a good idea, Spinel? Going to the place where all of our problems came from?"

Spinel frowned, looking at their intertwined hands in thought. Her eyes then met hers. "Yes. If the only thing we do is hide, then we ain't gonna move on, hun. We need to face it head on, and if that means going to Earth, then we're going to Earth. Besides," she tighten her grip on her hand a little, "we can still enjoy the same thing that she loved, even if it hurt us. But if you don't want to go, then that's find. We can play Uno again with Yellow's and Blue's Pearl if you liked too." 

"Is that where you got that accursed game from?" Pearl smiled, and Spinel winked. 

"A gem gotta keep some secrets, Toots. Now c'mon- I'll get the game."

They didn't talked about Earth after that. Spinel didn't want to push her boundaries for fear of driving Pearl away, and Pearl didn't brought it up because it was still a sensitive topic for her. A couple of weeks went by- six weeks, eleven days, two hours, fifty-one minutes and twenty-two seconds, to be exact, Spinel thought to herself -before the gem brought it up again. They were in her room again, and Pearl was about to try a different hairstyle on Spinel's hair when she paused. Spinel didn't think much of it before she spoke. "I want to go."

" 'cuse me?"

"I want to go to Earth." She said firmly. Her hands shook in fear, but it was almost worth seeing the complete childlike joy that lit Spinel's face. 

"Trust me, Toots- you're gonna have the time of your _life_ on Earth! I'm gonna show ya the tree-house, all of those cool photos I took, my favorite spot to relax, Noodle-" Spinel cut herself off suddenly, her hands flapping excitedly as she bounced to her feet, forcing Pearl to follow. There was an extra spring in her steps as they walked to the warp pad, although she suddenly stopped in her tracks, almost causing Pearl to walk into her. "Are you _sure _that you want to do this, Pearl? You don't have to do it if you're not comfortable." Her voice was uncharacteristically soft, yet Pearl was determined not to back down, even if she was terrified. She smiled shakily and nodded, afraid that if she said something she might back out of the idea. Spinel smiled warmly and took a much slower pace as they walked to the warp pad. They glanced at each other one final time before Spinel activated it, and as the bright white light enveloped their body, she squeezed Pearl's hand a final time before they warped.

It took less than a minute to arrive on Earth, yet Pearl was already showing signs of nervousness. She played with her hands anxiously as Spinel picked up her jacket from the corner, pausing when she felt something heavy in one of the pockets. She reached into it and pulled out a small, leather-bound wallet with a piece of paper sticking out. She unfolded the note and read it under her breath. " 'You'll need this. Garnet.' Need what?" She opened the wallet and was surprised when she saw two neatly folded green papers stuck between the folds; she tilted her head in confusion but shrugged, brushing away the bangs that fell over her eyes and replacing the wallet back into the jacket pocket. 

"What are you wearing?" Pearl asked, rubbing her fingers against the fabric curiously. 

"It's a jacket. It's what humans wear on Earth," she explained, spinning around so that she could get the full view. "Do you wanna wear it?" Pearl hummed in thought before shaking her head, her hands clasped behind her back as she followed Spinel out of the empty room. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of the ocean, and the other gem merely chuckled.

"Trust me, hun, you ain't seen nothing yet." They walked down the steps in silence and made their way to the sandy horizon. Pearl marveled at the body of water that seemed to stretch as far as the eye can see and the soft sand beneath their feet as Spinel watched in silent admiration. In a weird way, she almost envied Pearl. She was lucky that her image of Earth wasn't tainted like Spinel's, who only saw the planet as the reason why Pink abandoned her. Instead, she sees Earth as a place of wonders and discovery, and Spinel wanted so badly to see the world through her eyes.

The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth, and she frowned before closing her eyes and sighing through her nose. She shouldn't bring the mood down just because of a bad memory- she's an entertainer, after all. She have to make sure that tonight is perfect for the other gem. Her eyes landed on Beach City, and she noticed the bright lights and what appears to be a tent peeking through the buildings. A large crowd was going towards it, and she grinned. If the humans are going there, then that must mean that there's something good happening. "Hey, Pearl! Ya wanna check out what's happenin' over there?"

Pearl, who was touching the water slightly with her fingers, stood up and dusted the sand off her clothes. She looked at the direction that Spinel was pointing at and nodded, an eager grin on her face. Together, with their hands intertwined, they made their way to the street and merge with the crowd effortlessly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short update, but hopefully the next one'll be longer. Thanks for reading the chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

The crowd was a lot thicker than they imagined, although they managed to stay close to one another. Many of them were standing in line at the entrance of the event while the rest was free to roam about and look at the booth. The sign besides the ticket booth read, "_Wilford Warfstache Living Circus!_ ", yet that only left them feeling more confused.

"What's a circus?" Spinel shrugged, her hands buried deep in her jacket as the cold wind blew through her hair. If she remembered correctly, Autumn should be coming relatively soon. From the magazine she read from Greg- apparently his name _wasn't _Um Greg Universe. Humans could be so confusing sometimes- Autumn mostly have children playing in dead leaves and couples drinking hot beverages and sitting around a fireplace, although she had no idea why they do that. Maybe she should invite Pearl to spend the Fall with her this year- she did say that she was going to give her the full experience after all. "Spinel? Are you still with me?"

"Huh? Sorry, Toots. Musta gotten lost in thought." She smiled sheepishly, which the gem returned before they went in line. They didn't had to wait long- it only took them thirty minutes and forty-one seconds to get to the front of the ticket booth- and the lady attending regarded Pearl with confusion. 

"Aren't you supposed to be with the other performers? The show should start in an hour, and I don't want you to fall behind."

Pearl shook her head and gripped Spinel's arm a little tighter. "No, I just came here. I don't work for anyone." There was a trace of bitterness in her voice when she said that, and Spinel frowned slightly at that. The lady looked closely at her before coming to a conclusion, her head slowly nodding. 

"Yeah... you're right. None of the workers have a cracked eye or a stone in their stomach. Well, Aubrey has an orange pendant that she got from her mother, but that doesn't count. Sorry about that, Miss! Oh, and the ticket fee is one-fifty per person."

Spinel paid the attendant, who smiled and gestured to the curtained entrance before returning to her work. Pearl tugged on the edge of her jacket and whispered, "Do I really look like the humans?"

"I guess, hun. Is that bad?"

She stayed quiet before taking a step away from the gem. Her eye scanned through the crowd, occasionally pausing on a particular person before she silently nodded in approval. Her body began to glow a soft white light, and it only lasted for a moment before she reappeared with a new form. A slightly oversized patched-work pink sweater replaced the bralette that she usually wore, and a long pink skirt flowed down to her feet. She smiled shyly at Spinel and awaited her response.

For a moment, Spinel was speechless. She quickly recovered and slapped Pearl's back enthusiastically, a wide grin stretching across her face. "Lookin' good, Toots! I love what you've done with the outfit!"

Pearl blushed and placed a hand on her cheek. "It's nothing, really. I figured that I might as well dress up for the occasion since you did." She gestured to the jacket and Spinel flashed her a toothy grin, jerking her head to the side attractions that was lined out on the field.

"Enough talkin'! Tonight we're here to explore!" Spinel laughed and ran off, stretching out her hand for Pearl to grab as she bounced in excitement.

They spent the next hour playing games at the different booths or trying out the food that was being sold. Spinel finally managed to convince Pearl to try the cotton candy, and she swore the minute her eyes lit from the burst of sweetness she was going to store it into memory forever. They both won a toy for each other as well- Spinel won a small pink teddy bear with a top hat and Pearl won her a purple bunny. A small group of four men passed by them on the way to the next booth, and one of them turned back and called out, "Excuse me, miss?"

Spinel turned, and the person who called out to her- a young man with dark brown hair and a grey cardigan wrapped around his shoulders- smiled politely and said, "Can you take this picture for us?" She nodded and took the phone from him. Before posing for the picture, he called out, "Virgil! Do you wanna take a picture with me?"

Virgil- a slightly shorter man with dark purple hair and black eye shadow underneath his eyes- shrugged with disinterest but walked over to him, smiling when his friend grinned widely and pulled him into a tight hug. Spinel took a few pictures when she heard an offended gasp. 

"Patton! How dare you take a picture without me?!"

"You looked like you were having fun with Thomas and Logan."

"Still! You _know _that a prince has got to slay when it comes to pictures!"

Pearl giggled behind her, and Virgil gave an apologetic smile and walked over to them. "Sorry about that- Roman can be a bit dramatic when he wants too, which is all the damn time. By the way, I love your hair. What kind of dye do you use?"

Spinel ran a hand through her hair and smiled. "It's natural! I like your hair a lot, too."

"It really make your eyes shine," Pearl added, and Virgil smiled in a mixture of pride and embarrassment and flicked the hood of his jacket up to avoid her gaze.

"Virgil, come on! The show's about to start!" Patton tugged on Virgil arm and thanked Spinel when she gave him back his phone. He paused when Pearl gestured at him to catch his attention.

"What's the 'show'?"

"It's the circus. Is this your first time going to one?" Roman asked, and the two gems nodded quickly. He gestured for them to follow. "Well, come on! We don't want to miss it!" They led the way, and Spinel bounced on her feet before Pearl and her an behind them, easily joining the conversation as they met Logan and Thomas. Logan regarded them with interest before his attention was grabbed by a person who looked extremely similar to Roman, who was swinging a large object around with dizzing speed. "Remus! Put the mace down!" Roman cried out, and Remus pouted.

"Why? It's so much _fun_!"

"_Remus_!"

While the group argued over the weapon, Pearl giggled behind her hands. "Who knew humans could be so entertaining and funny?" Spinel gave a lopsided grin and shrugged, feeling as if this was the first time she was able to really have fun.

* * *

The tent was loud, hot, and crowded. The group were barely able to find a spot to sit, but after a while they were able to find a decent area. "Wow! I've never seen so many people here before!" Patton gasped, and Logan pushed his glasses to the bridge of his nose. 

"It might be because of _The Lady Flame_. I heard a lot of people talking about her before we came inside." He explained. Thomas looked like he was about to add something when the lights suddenly cut off, leaving everyone in pitch black. It only lasted a few seconds before a single white light shone in the middle of the arena with a lone figure standing in it.

He was fairly tall, with bright pink curly hair and a pink moustache. Everything about him was pink, with the only exception being the yellow suspenders and the black top hat that adorned his head. "Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, and all other configurations of being," he drawled, his voice deep and smooth like butter. "My name is Wilford Warfstache, and I want to thank each and everyone of you for coming to the show tonight! It's going to be one _hell_ of a night, so I hope you're holding on to your socks, because we're about to blow them right off your feet! Now! Are you ready?"

The crowd cheered, and Pearl found herself matching their enthusiasm. Wilford shook his head and cupped his hands over his ear. "I don't think I heard you! _Are you ready?!_" They cheered louder, and a toothy grin stretched across his face. "Excellent. Welcome, Beach City, to Wilford Warfstache Living Circus!" A cloud of pink smoke exploded under his feet, and Pearl clapped her hands in excitement. 

"This is gonna be so much fun! Right Spin-" 

Spinel was enthralled by what was happening on stage, her eyes wide and her smile big. She was practically buzzing with excitement, and throughout the performance it was clear that she was having the time of her life. She laughed the hardest when the five clowns played a game called "Change" and "Whose Line?"; she gasped as the two figures moved gracefully threw the air only to catch the trapeze effortlessly; and she cheered when The Lady Flame and Marvin the Magnificent dazzled the crowd with their magic. 

It was an experience, to say the least, and Pearl was sure that she wouldn't forget this night. When the show was over, Spinel jumped to her feet and cheered while Pearl simply clapped politely, although a laugh escaped her mouth from the leftover excitement. After a while, the crowd began to thin, and the gems parted ways with Patton and the others with the promise to stay in touch. 

"That was so amazin', Pearl! I loved every second of it! Do ya think we can go again tomorrow night? We can play more games and see them perform again- ah! I can't wait! ...Pearl?"

Pearl didn't moved from her spot inside the tent, her eyes fixated at Spinel. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" Pearl pointed to the sky, and Spinel finally realized that she was standing outside in the rain. She sighed knowingly and simply extended her hand. There was so much trust in her eyes, and Pearl realized that she could't stopped staring at them. She took a cautious step forward and reached out for her hand, jerking it back when the cold liquid fell on her skin. No words were exchanged. Pearl tried again, this time successfully taking Spinel's hand in her own. The gem tugged her forward gently, and she was soon standing with Spinel. She later told her that it was raining, but in that moment, Pearl felt something stir inside her. 

It was joy. Pure and unfiltered and left her feeling like she was on Cloud 9. She snorted and burst out laughing, and Spinel joined in quickly. Pearl felt two hands grab her hips and suddenly she was spinning in a circle, yet she still couldn't stop laughing. She felt so light and happy and _free_ and she just wanted to stay in the moment forever.

The feeling stayed when they opened their eyes, yet Spinel and Pearl was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a single person remained on the spot where they once were- three eyes looking around them in mild confusion, although they were still beaming. They looked at their hands- all four of them- and reached up to pat their hair, which was tied into two buns at the top while the rest flowed past their shoulders. 

"Spinel?" A single voice said hesitantly, and it didn't sound like Pearl nor Spinel's voice. Realization struck, and they gasped. 

They had fused.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapters- the charger for my computer stopped working so I have to type it out on my phone. Hopefully I'll have it fixed so that it won't take so long for me to update it.

"Is everything okay, Steven? You've been quiet all evening," Greg finally said. Steven merely sighed and played with his guitar, plucking quiet notes that echoed in the silent night. 

"I..." He paused, his eyes narrowing at the floor in thought. "I think Spinel was right."

For a moment, Greg looked confused. "Spinel was the pink gem that was folllowing you around a couple of months, right?" He clarified, and Steven nodded. "Why do you think she's right?"

Her voice echoed in his head, hurt and desperation disguised by anger. It was almost amazing how different her voice sounds now compared to when they first met. _"You're so protective of your REAL friends and you're so CARELESS with your fake!"_

"I only used her to stop her injector. I only used her so that I could help Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl. I only used her for my own gains, and when I was done with her I was going to push her away just like-" _just like Mom did._ The mere thought of that sentence left Steven with a bitter taste in his mouth. To think that he could have done the same thing Pink Diamond did to Spinel send chills down his spine. The guitar was now abandoned at his feet, and he hugged himself tight, almost using that action to anchor himself to reality.

He could have done so much more to help Spinel when he had the chance. He shouldn't have forced her to relive her trauma just so he could get her to turn off the Injector. He shouldn't have treated her like a side character when she simply wanted attention. He shouldn't have... He shouldn't have...

Greg scratched the back of his head and sighed almost knowingly. "I know the feeling, son. Sometimes you're just so focused on a single task that you'll do anything you can to achieve it- even if you have to hurt someone."

"But that isn't _like _me, dad!" Steven protested, his voice cracking on the last word. "I don't _use _people, I _help _them! I don't push them away, I try to get as close to them as possible! How I acted towards Spinel was wrong, and even if she didn't say it, she knows that it's true. She was visiting Earth for _months_ a-and I didn't even know she was here until now! What does that say about me? What does that say about our relationship- which is basically nonexistent since I only used her like a fu-"

"Woah, woah! Cool it on the jets, Steven! Let's try to keep things PG, okay?"

Steven bit the bottom of his lips, his brows knitted in frustration. After a while, he took several deep breaths to calm himself down. "Steven..." Greg started slowly, obviously choosing his words carefully. "What's happening isn't the end of the world- it's just something that we all have to face at some point in our lives. You either use someone, or you're the one who get used. But that doesn't mean that that's the end of it. You could still make it up to her. The only person stopping you is yourself." Steven still looked dejected, and Greg sighed and scratched the back of his head in thought. His eyes wandered out of the van, and an idea suddenly formed as a grin grew. "Hey, Steven... Do you wanna go to the circus?"

* * *

"I've never seen so many people here since the concert!"

"I know! It's kinda impressive, to be honest." Steven gazed at the thick crowd with mild interest, although Greg saw how dejected he still was. He sighed to himself but continued maintaining the carefree look on his face. His gaze swept through the crowd before he landed on an interested game, and he slung his arm around his son and pointed at it.

"Do you wanna test your luck, Steven? I used to be the king when it comes to this game."

Steven shrugged, and Greg took that as a win. At least he wasn't objecting to to it yet. As the night went on, however, Steven slowly began to enjoy himself more and more until he was outright laughing as Greg failed miserably at the ring toss. Greg opened his mouth to say something but paused when he saw the crowd moving towards a single spot. "The show's about to start," Steven muttered, and Greg nodded in agreement before picking up his prize and following the crowd, his son trailing behind in silence.

They managed to find a decent place to sit, and while they waited for the show to start, Steven searched through the crowd to try to find a familiar face when everything went black. Then a single light illuminated the center of a stage, and the ring leader grinned at the occupants.

"Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, and all other configurations of being," he spoke, his deep voice echoing in the tent. Several minutes passed as they watched the performance when Steven saw a flash of magenta and felt his heart stop for a moment. He almost stood up if it wasn't for the prizes in his lap, so he strained his neck to see past the crowd. The magenta flashed again until he saw who it was and felt his eyes widen.

Spinel was sitting with Pearl- he almost thought that it was his Pearl before he saw the cracked eye- and a group of men that he didn't recognized, and for the moment, he didn't cared. The only thing he cared about was that Spinel was here and apparently Pink's Pearl was here as well. He gasped when he realized that he could apologize to her when he paused and really looked at her.

The pigtails were gone, and Spinel was constantly brushing away her bangs from her face as she watched the show in pure delight. After each performance she would cheer the loudest, and even Pearl and the man with the cardigan wrapped around his shoulders would try to match her volume but ultimately failed. This was the first time he _really _saw Spinel smile, and he realized that if he were to see her, then he would just upset her. The thought of doing that made him frown, and he slumped back in his seat and sighed heavily.

"Is everything alright?" Greg asked, noticing his sudden shift in mood. Steven nodded slowly and gave him a tired yet genuine smile.

"I'm alright, dad."

He would talk to her later. Right now, he wasn't going to interfere with her. It's the least he could do, after all.


	6. Chapter 6

Just as quickly as they had fused, that feeling of lightness dissolved instantly. Their form began to wobble and glow, and they could only hold on to their body in a futile attempt at staying hold when they unfused. Spinel and Pearl landed to the ground with a thud. 

They stayed like that for a few seconds- trying to catch their bearings on what just happened. Eventually, Pearl spoke, and Spinel heard the underlying excitement in her voice. "That... was.." She struggled to find her words for a moment before settling on, "An experience."

"An _experience_?" Spinel said in disbelief, a grin stretching across her face. "Peeps, we just _fused_!" Realization hit, and she gasped. "Holy smokes we just fused."

Pearl nodded, still dazed from unfusing so quickly. Her fingers touched her cracked eye lightly, and her face grew sad, almost like she was remembering something from the past. Spinel frowned and scooted to her, placing a gloved hand on hers in comfort before remembering that they were still out in the rain. She felt like she was freezing, and the feeling was replicated by Pearl shivering and wrapping her arms around herself to get warm. A second later Spinel had the jacket wrapped around the gem's shoulder as she stood up, looking for a place to hide under the rain. 

She didn't had to look for long as a family-sized van pulled up to the sidewalk and Thomas poked his head out of the window, yelling so that he could he heard under the monstrous thunder that shook the air. "Get in!"

The gem helped Pearl to her feet and, grabbing their fallen prizes off the ground, ran to the vehicle. Remus opened the side door for them and the duo squeezed past the others and sat at the trunk, water dripping off their bodies as they shivered. "What were you girls doing out there? You're going to get sick!" Patton cried, sounding very much like Greg. 

"Were do you live?" Logan interrupted, and Spinel pointed to the left.

"I stay in the woods for the most part."

"I can't exactly drive you there with this weather," Thomas muttered to himself, eyeing the rain. "So you're gonna have to stay with us for the night. I can take you to your house in the morning."

"Hopefully it isn't flooded by now," Damien mentioned off-handly, and Spinel gasped.

"My pictures! They're gonna get ruined!" She groaned, her body slumping down and her limbs becoming limp around her. Pearl smiled slightly and patted her hair in consolidation.

Virgil flashed her a strained grin. "Relax. Your pictures are probably fine." He grimaced to himself and muttered, "Probably." That obviously wasn't the best answer as Roman punched him lightly in the arm because of that. Before it could escalate any further, Patton stepped into the conversation once again.

"We could have a sleepover!" He clapped, successfully catching their attention. "We could make a pillow fort in then hall and watch movies and drink hot chocolate- it's perfect!"

"And what if there's a blackout?" Virgil quipped, and Patton snapped his fingers.

"Then we can tell scary stories!"

"Oh I have the _perfect _story in mind," Remus drawled, rubbing his hands together deviously. Patton gestured to him and grinned wider.

"See? It's perfect! What do you say, guys?"

"I'm okay with that. It's not like I have anything better to do tonight."

The others voiced their agreement, and with that out of the way, the rest of the drive was spent discussing about the sleepover. When they arrived at the apartment complex that was a few miles away from Beach City, Thomas parked the van at the side of the road and the passengers ran out to avoid the rain as quickly as possible. Now out of the horrid weather, Spinel and Pearl followed them to their apartments, pausing only when Damien and Remus parted ways from the group.

"Where are you going?" Pearl asked. Damien held up a set of keys and explained that they were going to get changed before they come over.

"Besides, I'm sure Remy would want to join in on this. He'll be so pissed if we didn't include him in the sleepover!" Remus added with a laugh, closing the door behind him with a flourish.

"Remy?"

"Another one of our friends. He's a chill guy, so you don't need to worry about him," Roman waved off, gently pushing Spinel inside and towards a small room while Patton did the same to Pearl. "Now you two take a hot bath before you get sick! We'll leave some clothes out for you in the meanwhile."

Spinel nodded in understanding and closed the bathroom door. She looked at the small space in slight wonder before taking off her soaked clothes, watching as they dissolved into light particles in the air. She entered the bathtub and turned on the shower, letting out a sigh of relief as hot water washed over her. A couple of minutes later she was done, and while she was drying herself off with a towel, she heard a knock from the door. Pulling the fabric up to her chest, she unlocked the door and saw Logan covering his eyes with his hand while holding out an assortment of clothes in his other.

"Here you go, Spinel. I hope they fit you well."

"Thanks, Logan."

Closing the door behind her, she placed the towel over a rack and lifted up a shirt, letting out a thoughtful hum. When she exited the bathroom, she saw that Pearl was already helping Patton, Roman and Remus with the living room. The gem noticed her and smiled, waving at her before returning back to her task. Spinel waved back and went to the kitchen, where Thomas, Damien and Virgil were preparing snacks for the night. "Can I help?" She asked, and Virgil looked up from the drink he was preparing. 

He pointed to the fridge and said, "Can you get me the sugar? It should be in the green container."

She opened the fridge and after searching through some left-overs and an ungodly amount of Crofters, she found the item in question. She opened it and gave it to Virgil, who inserted a spoon and took out a generous amount of sugar. It wasn't long before the gem was helping Thomas out with the s'mores and Logan with the Lucky Charms treats. "What do you do in sleepovers?"

"Well, not all sleepovers are the same," Logan started, pushing his glasses with his index finger. "For us, it usually involves Patton, Roman and Remus painting our nails. After that, we watch a movie or two while our nails dry and then we talk about nonsense and eat snacks. I think I saw Roman bringing out a couple of board games though, so this will be interesting." There was a twinge of exasperation in his voice at the last sentence, yet it almost sounded fond. She looked down at the counter, an unconscious frown forming across her face.

Before she got too far in her thoughts, Pearl poked her head into the kitchen and said, "Patton wants to know if the snacks are done."

"It is. Are you done as well?"

She nodded, and Logan nodded in satisfaction. "Spinel, help me bring the Lucky Charms out?"

The small group brought out the dishes and spread them across the coffee table in front of the pillow fort. "Oh! Those look delicious!" Patton cooed, clapping his hands in glee at the sight of them.

"Thanks, padre. Now move over- you're hogging up the pillows." Patton moved over as Roman selected the movie from the TV, and a small argument broke out among them over what they should watch. Spinel scooted closer to Pearl and smiled softly.

"Do you mind if I sit here?"

The gem giggled and motioned for her to move closer. There was still the lingering question of the fusion hanging in the air, but neither of them wanted to break the atmosphere they had right now. For the remainder of the night it was spent avoiding the topic through nail painting, Monopoly, and telling ghost stories until, finally, it was time for bed. Sleeping, Spinel discovered, was as easy as performing. It was something that she could do with ease, and a small part of her took pride in that. Tonight, however, she found it difficult to even close her eyes. Every time she tried to relax, her mind would return to the fusion- to how _light _she felt whenever she's around Pearl. A part of her wishes- no, _yearns _to complete that level of closeness, but if she had to be honest, she was terrified of being hurt again. What she has with Pearl was dangerous enough, but she couldn't see herself pushing the gem away. She sighed and closed her eyes, wrapping the blanket closer around her.

Everything was new and confusing and Spinel didn't know if she liked it. She was about to try sleeping again when she felt a tug on the hem of her borrowed shirt. "Spinel? Are you awake?" Pearl whispered, and Spinel nodded slowly. Pearl didn't let go of the fabric as she spoke, her voice soft. "...I always wondered what fusion was like. Ever since I was assigned to Pink, the thought would cross my mind. I-" She chuckled lowly, her grip tightening slightly. "I thought I was _defective_." She paused. Spinel stayed silent. "One day I told Pink about it and- and she _laughed _and just walked away from me. I felt horrible, and I wanted things to go back to normal- I needed _us _to get back to normal. I- I got clumsy. White Diamond found out and..." She let out a shaky breath, pressing her forehead against Spinel's back.

Spinel turned to face her properly and wrapped her arms around her tightly. They stayed like that for several minutes, and Pearl laughed softly. "I don't even know why I told you that... I just..." She sighed. "You make me... you make me feel _safe_, Spinel. No gem was able to give me that feeling- not even Pink." Pearl tucked her head underneath the entertainer's chin, closing her eye as she gave another tired sigh. "Thank you, I guess."

"...Your welcome, Pearl."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter wasn't supposed to end like this, but I liked how it came out!  
Also! I'm gonna be writing a book! I'm going to put it on BetaReaders when I'm done with it, and I'll link the site after I'm done in case anyone is interested in reading it! It shouldn't be so long- only 18 chapters or so, so I hope that you'll give it a chance!
> 
> Don't forget to eat, take your meds, and I love you! <3


	7. Chapter 7

"Whoooo!"

Spinel dove into the pool as Blue Diamond watched, her arm extended high above her head as a makeshift diving board. When Spinel resurfaced, she came to the sound of muffled giggles from her diamond, and she couldn't stop the proud grin from breaking across her face. Ever since she started staying with the Diamonds, she noticed how happy they were around her. Before, they were always too serious. They never took part in her games, and they never even laughed! But now... Now things were different. They were laughing, they were smiling. They were having fun _because of her._ The thought was enough to leave her feeling giddy, and she spun around in the water in a burst of energy.

"Hey Blueberry! Whatcha doin' there all by yourself? Come on! The pool's big enough for the three of us!"

Blue Pearl looked unsure for a moment. Even though the Diamonds weren't as strict with them, they were still unsure as to what their limits are. She looked at Blue Diamond questionably and Spinel huffed and rolled her eyes. Stretching her arm to where Blue Pearl was, she grabbed her by the hand and pulled, yanking the servant into the water. She gasped but couldn't stop herself in time, and when she swam to the surface she glared at Spinel with no real bite and splashed water in her direction. Spinel gasped in mock offense and did the same, and soon the two of them were playfully fighting while Blue Diamond watched with fondness.

The fun ended when Yellow Pearl entered the chamber, clearing her throat loudly to be heard from the laughter and splashing water. "Blue Diamond, you are needed in the Court Room."

She sighed, almost like she wanted to stay with them for a few more minutes, but stood up. Waves formed from her movement, and Spinel and Blue Pearl held on to the side of the pool so that they wouldn't be swept under water. "I'm afraid are little party is over, girls." When Spinel whined, she smiled slightly and poked the top of her head lightly. "Don't worry- we can continue after I come back." Blue Diamond left shortly after, and the three gems looked at each other for a moment before Spinel gestured at Yellow Pearl to come join them. 

Yellow Pearl immediately backed away from the pool, putting her hands up in a futile form of defense. "Oh no! Don't expect _me_ to get in there! We still have a broadcast to shoot, Pearl!"

"Come on! One dip won't kill ya!"

"_Spinel! _"

* * *

"I'm sorry, but you want me to... host a party?"

White Diamond nodded as if that wasn't the weirdest request she'd asked. "Yes! We've decided to throw Spinel a party for officially coming back to us, and it's usually customary for the Diamond Authority to be present." Steven blinked, thrown off guard for a moment. He keeps forgetting that he's technically a Diamond. 

He smiled slightly in realization. "Is that why you've been asking me about Earth parties lately?"

"It's a new era. We might as well change a few things now and then," Yellow Diamond shrugged. 

Blue Diamond looked at him expectantly. "I know that this is short notice, but we would be happy if you'd come."

Steven pretended to think about it for a moment, but he already knew what he was going to say. "I'd love to come!" After what happened with Cactus Steven, he was more than happy to have an excuse to leave the house. Maybe he could ask Connie if she was free for the weekend..."When is it going to happen?"

Yellow Diamond looked up in thought before answering. "It should be happening tomorrow evening if I'm correct."

"Thank you!" White Diamond sang, and the transmission ended shortly after.

* * *

"Where's Logan?" Spinel asked after taking a rather loud slurp from her juice box. Pink Pearl- _Volleyball_, she mentally corrected in her head- looked up from the book that she was reading.

"Tilt your head to the side, please." She did, and Patton continued the braid from where he left off, tying it off with a yellow rubber band before moving on to the other side. 

"Logan had to leave early for space camp," Virgil replied, his eyes flickering across the television screen. He flipped through the channel mindlessly before stopping when something flashed across the screen. It looked like it was one of those animations that they've told her about, and he tossed the remote to the side and got comfortable. "Today's Friday, right?"

"Yep!"

"Then he should be back later this evening. He usually arrives around six or so since it's pretty far from here." He laid his head on the arm of the couch and shouted, "Roman!"

From the other side of the room they heard a distant, "_What? _"

"They're showing Moana! Do you wanna see it?"

He didn't get an answer- instead, Roman suddenly appeared into view with a mug of hot chocolate balanced dangerously in his hands. He plopped next to Virgil, much to his dismay, and was glued to the screen in a matter of seconds. Virgil rolled his eyes but didn't comment on it. 

Spinel smiled at the sight, and the small group watched the rest of the movie in comfortable silence.

* * *

"Hi, Connie!"

"Steven! Gosh, it's been so long since we've last talked! How are you?"

Steven response was immediate and practiced. "I'm great! How's space camp? Did you get to go into a rocket ship yet?"

Connie laughed at the other end of the line. Steven never realized how much he'd missed that laugh until now. "No, Steven- we don't get to do that till later."

"Well tell me all about the planets you get to see in space, okay?"

"Will do!"

Steven suddenly remembered the reason why he called her. "The Diamonds called me- they said that they wanted to throw Spinel a party!"

He could hear the disbelief and sarcasm dripping from her voice. "Do they even _know_ how to throw a party? The last one was kinda lame."

The teen laid down on the roof of his car, tucking his arm underneath his head. The sky was clear blue, and small puffy clouds floated lazily across it. The weather was comfortably cool, and he had his jacket zipped up halfway as a light breeze picked up the fallen leaves from the forest floor. "They've been asking me all week how to throw a party- I thought they were just curious about Earth's culture. Do you wanna come with me?"

Connie hummed thoughtfully, yet Steven knew that she was going to say yes. His assumptions were correct as she said, "Sure. I could use a break now and then. Spinel doesn't know about the party, right?"

The answer didn't left his mouth when a new voice entered his ears. It sounded male, and from what Steven heard, he sounded mildly surprised. "Spinel's getting a party?"

"Oh! You know Spinel, Professor Logan? Wait, do you mind if I put the call on speaker?"

He must have said yes because Steven was suddenly able to hear him clearer. "Spinel's the pink gem, right? She and Volleyball are staying at our apartment for a few weeks now. We've been meaning to get her house fixed, but we never seem to have enough time to do it."

"How's Volleyball? Is she okay?"

"She's fine. I'm sorry if this sounds rude, but who are you?"

Steven flushed in embarrassment. He got so caught up about Spinel and Volleyball that he completely forgot to introduce himself.

"This is Steven!" Connie replied for him.

"Can you do me a favor Professor and not tell Spinel about the party? It's a surprise."

"Of course, Steven."

Steven was just about to end the call when an idea suddenly popped into his head. "Actually, sir, you've been with Spinel longer. Do you know what she likes the most?"


End file.
